Next Step
by lovewinter
Summary: Season 7, just after the end of episode 17 'Voire Dire'. Is Jack really going to talk to Hanna about Sam?
1. Chapter 1

Title: NEXT STEP  
Rating: K  
Timeline: season 7, just after the end of episode 17  
Summary: Jack has to talk to Hanna about his girlfriend  
Disclamair: WAT and all the characters are properties of their creators, producers, WB, CBS... etc. Sadly nothing is mine.

**A/N**: thanks to Sharon and Diane for their great help. You don't know me, but I can be really annoying :)

* * *

**SHARING**

"Hanna, I'm home!" Jack's voice immediately followed the noise of the closing door. With only one hand free, he was fumbling with his jacket, trying to put the keys back in his pants pocket. He had stopped on the way home at Hanna's favourite delivery place and now he was carrying a Chinese dinner for two, complete with dessert.

He put everything on the counter in the kitchen and went toward his bedroom to undress and change into something more comfortable. He stopped in front of Hanna's door. "Hi, Hanna."

But she couldn't hear him. _She had those damned earphones on!_ He approached her. She was sitting at her desk, doing her homework. Jack didn't want to scare her, so with a little louder voice repeated his greeting.

She finally heard him, and taking out one of her earpieces, she smiled at him, "Hi, Dad."

"How can you study with those things in your ears?"

Hanna, smiling, avoided her father's question, "Bad day?"

Jack rolled his eyes – _Hanna was more like him than he had imagined_. It was not surprising that she and her mother clashed – _'oil and water don't mix'_ – He could not help smiling at the comparison, and then added, "Are you okay with having Chinese for dinner?"

"Sure, do you want me to call?"

"I took care of it. The take-out is in the kitchen. I'm going to take a shower. I'll be ready in about fifteen minutes. Okay ?"

"Perfect," and with this she put her earpiece back on and went back to her homework.

Jack followed his after-work routine, but his mind was still mulling over what Hanna had told him that morning. _"Sharing"_. That single word had been haunting him since the morning. And how could he "share" his life with a fifteen- year-oldgirl? He hadn't been able to share it with his wife! He thought he could"share" his life with Samantha, and he was still working on that. Now he had to "share" his life with Sam with his daughter! _Who was the genius who invented the word? _

Jack knew he now had a second chance with his daughter. He needed to 'repair' their relationship. He wanted to be the father he hadn't been in the past. Obviously he had to earn Hanna's trust. He wanted her to feel she could talk with him about anything. To that end, he had to be honest with her. And that meant telling her the truth about Samantha – the good and the bad. He had to be honest because he did not know how much Hanna already knew. Jack and Maria had tried to keep the girls out of the line of fire, but he could not be sure what Maria had told them since the move to Chicago. _Did Hanna know what part Sam played in their lives?_

Jack Malone was freaking out. _Why was it so difficult to talk with his daughter?_ He stepped out of the shower, put on his bathrobe, dried his hair with a towel and went back to his bedroom to get ready for dinner.

Hanna had warmed the dinner in the microwave and was setting the table. Jack stopped at the door, observing her. His daughter was really there, in New York with him. She was a young woman now, trying to find her place in the world. Would Hanna be a different person if Jack had been with her over the years? And now, would he be able to help and guide her through life?

Hanna lifted her eyes toward her father, "Dinner is ready."

Jack joined Hanna at the table and they started eating dinner. They made small talk, but Jack found it very difficult to relax with his daughter. He needed to talk to her about something important, but he did not know how to start. He could not go 'directly to the point' with her. As an FBI agent, he could communicate with both victims and perpetrators; but he could still not communicate with his own daughter.

"Have you done your homework?" Jack nonchalantly started.

"Dad, what is it? What do you want to talk about? You've been on the edge of your seat all night."Hanna wanted to tease Jack. She realized he had something on his mind, but he did not know how to start. _He needed a little push._

"Do you remember this morning?" Jack, realizing one more time how perceptive his daughter was, started, and, gesturing with his hand back and forth between them, added, "You talked about 'sharing'. I'd like to talk about this new thing between us."

Hanna looked down intently at her food as a smile appeared on her face, then asked, "Great, where would you like to start?"

"You're right, Sherlock, I have a girlfriend."

"Was that so difficult to admit?" Hanna smirked at her father. It was so obvious he had someone in his life. _Why did he want to hide her?_ He had not been so discreet with Anne.

"Yes." Jack smiled.

"Do I know her?" Hanna was curious. She was dying to know who the woman was.

"Yes, she works with me."

"Well, I guess we can eliminate Martin and Danny."Hanna mentally ran though all the females in the office."The blond one? Uhmm… Samantha?" She tried to be as unreadable as possible. She didn't want to give anything away. Her father had to suffer a little bit more.

"Yeah," Jack was surprised but quickly added, "She would like to take you out for lunch. What do you think about it?"

"Lunch? Just the two of us? " Hanna asked and, looking at his father's anxious face, added with a tone of sarcasm, "How interesting!"

"What does that mean?" Jack went from concerned father to FBI agent mode. He was surprised and unsure. _His hope for a nice bonding moment was quickly fading._

Sensing there was more Jack had to say, Hanna stood up and rolled her eyes. "Of course, Dad. I'd like to meet her. Excuse me, I have to finish my homework."

It was not true, but she wanted to keep her father off balance and make him suffer a little longer.

Jack remained there, sitting at the table, wondering what was on his daughter's mind. He sensed that Hanna had more to say. He had been hopeful. He agreed with Sam's decision to meet Hanna alone. But now he was not sure what Hanna was up to. Samantha was great at handling teenagers, but this could be like walking on a minefield. He did not know what Hanna knew about their past. Maybe it was not a good idea.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: huge thanks to Sharon and Diane, and a special thanks to my "private NY adviser", Dg from Maple Street. This short story had to be a bit different, but then, many things happened on the show... and we still don't know how Hanna reacted… so, for now, that's all!

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**LET THE GAMES BEGIN**

Samantha was apprehensive about meeting Hanna. She wondered if it was really a good idea meeting her alone. She wanted Hanna to accept her in Jack's life. But Sam was not sure if Hanna would ever agree; above all, if the girl knew something about the affair. Anyway, it was too late – they were going to meet in some minutes. A car stopped; it was Jack's car. Hanna got out and Sam could see the girl was talking with Jack, but she could not hear any words. Sam smiled and waved her hand to catch Hanna's attention. The restaurant was just around the corner on a street so narrow it was open only to pedestrian traffic.

"What do you think? Do you like this place?" Samantha asked Hanna as soon as they went in. When she decided to take Hanna out for lunch, Sam immediately thought of the nice little restaurant she loved.

Hanna was looking around, "It's a nice, quiet place." And then, glaring at Samantha, she asked, "Is this where you come for lunch when you are having an affair with a married man?" Hanna's eyes were fixed on Samantha – she wanted to see Sam's reaction.

_Ha__nna had not waited long to strike the first blow. _Samantha needed every bit of self-control to not show any reaction. She was expecting some kind of comment during lunch and even a confrontation if Hanna knew about the affair, but in that moment Hanna's attack came out of the blue. Samantha was still not ready. She quickly decided to temporarily ignore Hanna's question, and taking control again, she stated, "It's better if we take a seat. I think we have to talk."

Samantha chose a table on a far corner, where they could have a little more privacy. She picked up the menu in an effort to organize her thoughts. She had not to show any hesitation. Samantha was going to face Hanna without hiding behind lies. She was ready to answer any questions. _But Hanna did not want answers._

"If you don't leave my father, I will make him choose between you and me. I will tell him if he stays with you, I will never forgive him. We will never be a family!" Hanna said, gritting her teeth. Staring directly into Sam's eyes with a steely glare, she added, "You destroyed my family. I will never accept you as my stepmother." Her voice was firm and harsh – she did not want any replies.

"I'm not trying to be that, Hanna. I just want us to have a chance to know each other. I can't change what happened in the past. But as you can see, the relationship between your father and me was, and is, something real; it wasn't a whim. We had, and still have, deep feelings for each other." Sam's worst fears were becoming real. Hanna was threatening to make Jack choose between them. And Samantha did not want that. She did not want to be seen as an enemy by Hanna. But that was not going to be easy. Many things had changed since the affair, but Hanna would always see Sam as "the" reason of her parents' divorce, even if it was not true.

"Is Dad your son's father?" Hanna suddenly interrupted Sam's thinking. It was clear this question was not an impulsive thought; she was waiting for the right moment to ask about it. Hanna surely had mulled over it.

"No, your father is not Finn's dad." Samantha tried to be reassuring; Finn would never take Hanna and Kate's place in Jack's life.

"You had a baby less than a year ago with another man? So much for deep feelings!" Hanna replied, rolling her eyes.

_Hanna __knew how to push Sam's buttons and just which ones to punch_. Hanna was right, and from her point of view, her reasoning was perfect. Samantha was wondering if there was an easy way to explain to Hanna how the relationship with Jack had always been very complicated. How could she explain how complicated Jack was to his daughter? Hanna was only a teenager and she was angry and in pain. How could Sam try to explain her feelings for Jack?

"Your father and I were working closely together. He was in pain and conflicted about what was happening at home. He wanted to be there for his family, for you, but he did not know how. He needed to talk to someone and I was there. Our feelings for each other grew, and we were not aware of it until it was too late. What happened between us is not something I am proud of, but now things have changed. A lot of things happened and many years have passed, but our feelings are still the same. He was there for me when I needed help with the baby, and I was there for him while he was going through a hard time at work. I can't say we are going to be a "happily ever after" couple--we have our problems--but we care for each other. Hanna, give us a chance, please…"

The ring of the phone startled Samantha. She jumped up from the couch. She had fallen asleep watching TV. She was a bit confused and, at the same time, relieved – it was only a dream, or better, a nightmare. _But how far away from reality?_

Another ring. Samantha stretched herself to reach the phone on the coffee table. It was Jack.

"Were you sleeping?"

"No…yes… I fell asleep on the couch and I had a dream." She was rubbing her forehead, happy that Jack could not see her confused expression.

"Of me?" Jack teased.

"Nah… Did you talk to Hanna?" Teasing was not exactly what Sam had on her mind. She quickly changed the subject so Jack would not ask her about the dream.

"Yeah…"

"And?" Sam realized that something was bothering Jack.

"She would be glad to meet you." Samantha could tell by his voice that he was hiding something.

"Okay! There has to be more. You aren't telling me everything."

"I don't know. She seems to be willing, but something doesn't feel right." Just then, Hanna appeared at the door. "Hold on, Hanna is here."

"Is it Samantha on the phone?" Hanna asked, and after her father's positive answer, she added, "Can I speak with her?"

"Sure. So you could schedule your lunch together." His voice was louder than it should be to let Sam hear what was happening.

Jack got up from the bed and gave the phone to Hanna.

"Hello," Hanna turned her back on her father so he could not see her face.

"Hi, Hanna. What do you think about next Saturday? I thought we could go to the South Street Seaport." Samantha, with the memory of her dream still fresh on her mind, suggested a crowded place with little shops and restaurants, festivals and little concerts.

"Sounds great! See you on Saturday."

Jack was watching Hanna on the phone with Sam making final plans to meet. Her voice was sweet and Jack relaxed. _Maybe he misunderstood her before. Maybe it was going to be all right._

Hanna handed the phone back to her father. Jack gestured Hanna to sit on the bed with him while he was saying to Sam they would talk later. Then he looked at Hanna. _It was the right moment. He has to tell her._

"Hanna there is something I would like to tell you. Samantha and I had a brief relationship when I was still married to your mother."

"So, she is the one…"

"You know about her?" Jack didn't show any reaction.

"I didn't know for sure. I heard Mom talking with her lawyer. By the way, did you know Mom was very close with him? When we got to Chicago, he was often there, helping us get settled. Goodnight, Dad." She stood up from the bed and, turning toward the door, let a smile spread on her face. _It was so easy to keep her father off balance._

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Jack hid his shock from his daughter. _Had Maria planned their divorce while she was having an affair? Is that why she didn't want him to move to Chicago? _Maybe he should give back his badge. He hadn't seen it happen. The divorce had taken him by surprise. So much for his intuitive skills!

He took his phone and dialled Sam's number. A ring and he heard her warm voice, "Hey."

Jack told her about what he had just discovered about Maria and her lawyer. "Can you believe I didn't see it?"

"Yes, I can, you are a man," she rolled her eyes. _Jack could be such a child sometimes_. Then with a more serious voice she added, "Be honest, Jack, you just did not want to see it."

"Thanks for your support. Great _girlfriend_ you are!" He did not like her answer, and as usual when he did not like something, he hid behind his sarcasm.

"Oh, I know!" Samantha smiled; she had touched a soft spot. He probably wondered what he had missed. She could see Jack's expression on her mind. "Jack, seriously, it makes sense that the lawyer helped her. She was alone there, with two little girls. It doesn't mean she had an affair before the move. I think the divorce had more to do with your relationship than with any affairs that either of you could have had. I'm not a fan of Maria, you know it, but I don't think she was unfaithful to you. Don't worry, your intuitive skills are still intact!"

Jack smiled at Sam's calming words.

"Uh, sorry, I have to go. 'Night, Jack. See you tomorrow."

Jack could hear her child crying in the background. "'Night, honey," he answered while she was hanging up, quite sure she wouldn't hear him.

Jack closed his phone. He had a smile on his face, but he also had a pensive look. How would it be their future together? _Complicated_, that was the right word to describe their situation. Would their feelings be enough to face all the bumps they would meet on the road? First Brian, then Hanna… what would the next one be? He was trying very hard, and he was sure Sam was aware of it. She was more relaxed now. It was so different from the time of their affair – they were different. Both of them. There were times he would spend eternity watching Sam cuddling her baby or playing with him. She was happy. He had never seen that sort of smile on her before. She seemed… _complete._ And what if she would realize she did not need him anymore?

The ring of the phone interrupted Jack's train of thoughts. It was Sam. "Hey. I thought we were done for tonight."

"I just could not leave you that way," she laughed, "Finn is my priority, but I can't neglect you! Do you want to talk about Hanna? Or maybe you'd rather do something else?"

"What do you have on your mind?"

"I was thinking that we could… Where are you? In your bedroom? And the door is closed? Perfect," and then with her best seducing voice, "I miss you, Jack…"


End file.
